Shepton Mallet Journal - 27 April 1894

North Somerset Record

Chilcompton

INQUEST. Dr. Craddock, coroner, held an inquest at the Redan Inn, Monday afternoon, on the body of the late Tom Henry Burge, carpenter, whose death took place on Wednesday, the 18th inst. Mr. Arthur J. Gait, purveyor, was foreman of the jury. Albert Curtis, shoemaker of Paulton, deposed to meeting deceased at the Blackbird Inn, Winterfield, Paulton, where he had been. He afterwards drove him and four others to Winterfield, from thence to the Dolphin Inn, Welton, the Stones' Cross and the Greyhound Hotels, Midsomer Norton, at each of which places they stopped and had beer. They left the Greyhound at about 3 p.m. with the intention of driving deceased home to Chilcompton. He was then sitting on the seat of the trap, the left side. When about 80 yards from the Greyhound, by the Church, he looked round and saw deceased in the road, he had fallen out of the trap. He pulled up, went back and found him sensible, but unable to move. They put him into the cart and took him home. Drs. Pollard and Whicher of Midsomer Norton, both saw deceased at the scene of the accident. —By P.C. Bailey— He had had a drop of beer, but was not tipsy. -By the Coroner-, the horse did not swerve or jerk, nor did anything special occur to throw him out. —It was going at a trot, certainly not more than four miles an hour. He could not say say how much beer they had. —P.C. Bailey said as far he could gather the party consumed 19 pints of beer at the five public houses. —John Knowles, insurance agent, Midsomer Norton, saw the accident occur. Deceased fell backwards from the trap. He ran up to him, and he said “Take me home,” and witness helped to do so. The trap was not going fast, when the accident occurred. He did not consider deceased “tipsy.” He fell under the wheel which passed over him. —Dr. Alexander said he was passing about the time of the accident. He saw deceased in the trap. Dr. Pollard had examined him, and said there were not any broken bones, but a contusion at the back of the head. Witness attended him professionally later in the evening, when he was suffering from the shock. There was a bruise on the left shoulder and on the groin. The bladder had been ruptured by the wheel of the cart passing over the abdomen, and to this he attributed the cause of death, which took place next day. The coroner having received the evidence, said it was not quite clear as to the amount of drink had by the men. There was proof of 19 pints, that would be about three pints each. This was not considered a great quantity for some men, but more than he would like to take. Death no doubt arose from the shock and rupture of the bladder, caused by the the cart wheel going over the abdomen, but there did not seem to be any blame attached to any one. A verdict in accordance with the medical evidence was returned.